A highly entertaining and intellectual movie by Gus Van Sant about high school shoot out inspired by a videogame and beethoven. The big controversy associated is whether the two killers associated were homosexuals or not.

Guy#1:Dude, I watched this cool movie Elephant yesterday.
Nerd:What is the moral of the movie.
(Shoots the Nerd in his crotch)

A big grey animal which features in the phrase elephant in the room. Here it can mean anything you like that reminds you of an elephant in a confined space, such as:

1) A thing that's big, really big, and everybody is embarassed by the sight of it, so they pretend it isn't there: maybe it will go away.
2) Something so big you can think of nothing else but it.
3) A thing too big to fit, but after a while you get used to it, maybe even get to like it; it defines a scary new lifestyle.

All of these describe teenage obsessions, hence the title of Gus van Sant's teenage obsession movie Elephant.

"Elephant, what elephant?"
"I'd like two eggs and an elephant, please. Oops, sorry, I meant two eggs and a sausage"
"Please be gentle, this is my first time with an elephant"